Middle East

Jeddah, Sep 19: The Gulf Cooperation Council states import nearly 90 percent of their food items from abroad, according to the findings of a study titled “Food gap in the GCC.” The study, conducted by researcher Faisal Al-Otaibi of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, recommended stronger Arab Gulf integration in order for the GCC states to reach self-sufficiency by boosting agriculture

Dammam, Sep 18: Two Saudi policemen have been martyred in the Eastern Province city of Dammam after their vehicle came under gunfire, according to the interior ministry. The shooting, which resulted in the martyrdom of Chief Sergeant Musa Ali Mohamed Alqbi and fellow soldier Nawaf Mahmas Al-Otaibi, happened late on Saturday night during a routine police patrol. The assailants are unknown and an

Makkah, Sep 17: Hundreds of pilgrims held back tears on Thursday as they left the holy city in buses for King Abdul Aziz international Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port after performing Haj. Pilgrims are beginning to return to their home countries after completing the Haj rituals easily, safely and conveniently by the grace of God and the support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and

Jeddah, Sep 16: Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques chief Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais said this year’s Haj was a success and “the presidency was able to implement its plans and measures for the Haj season this year, which contributed to making the performance of the Haj rituals easy and comfortable.” He said the presidency had come up with a package of measures and procedures in preparation for the Haj

Mina, Sep 15: Among the 19,000 British pilgrims performing Haj this year was British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Simon Paul Collis and his wife Huda Mujarkech. It was known to some diplomats and journalists that he had embraced Islam but there had been no official word. The confirmation came on last week in the form of a tweet from Saudi writer and academic Fawziah Al-Bakr (@fawziah1). She posted

Jeddah, Sep 15: The Ministry of Haj and Umrah returned nearly SR500 million to 48,400 people who had fallen prey to unscrupulous companies that falsely claimed that they could organize Haj for those desiring to perform the pilgrimage. About 45 such fraudulent companies were identified. Ministry sources described the move as a significant “achievement,” not for the ministry alone, but for all

Jeddah, Sep 5: Saudi Arabia has been ranked among the top three safest places in the world, thanks to fewer natural disasters and constant efforts by the government in terms of health, security and infrastructure. The Institute for Environment and Human Security at the UN University has, in its recent report, placed the Kingdom as the third most safe and secure country after Malta and Qatar. The

Jeddah, Aug 23: Experts feel imposition of income tax on expatriates and linking their remittances to their income levels will boost Saudization and eliminate violations and irregularities in the labor market, including limiting run-away workers. Ahmed Al-Amoudi, former vice president at the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC), said some workers violate regulations, but the income tax and fees on

Jeddah, Jul 18: Saudi authorities in Dammam have detained Turkey's military attaché to Kuwait upon request of the Turkish government, Al Arabiya online news reported Sunday midnight. Quoting Saudi sources, Al Arabiya said the military officer, Mikael Ihsanoglu, was to board a plane at Dammam Airport on his way to the city of Dusseldorf, Germany, passing through Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The

Riyadh, Jul 16: An employer does not have the right to retain the passport of his expat employee without the employee’s consent, Khalid Aba Al-Khail, spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, said. However, if the expat worker wishes the employer to keep his passport, he has to sign a written statement in both Arabic and his native language stating that the employer has received